The present invention relates generally to the field of airflow directing devices used for streamlining purposes. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to a stator apparatus for minimizing the drag effect experienced by pickup trucks and the like which move through ambient atmospheric air.
The body of prior art associated with the use of air directing means in various automotive adaptations is to be found in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office archives under the 296 classification with sub-classifications such as 1.5, 1 S and 1 SX. Some of the specific patents within this broad area of the field of the invention include: Stalker, U.S. Pat. No. 1,871,396; Boynton, U.S. Pat. No. 2,361,924; Stamm, U.S. Pat. No. 2,863,695; Van Rossen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,074; Hall et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,594; Bott, U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,603; and Villipe, France Pat. No. 1336673.
All known prior art in the field of automotive streamlining provides structural arrangements for the reduction of air drag and turbulence around forward moving vehicles by manipulation of that air which is caused to move, relatively, from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle. Such prior art arrangements are inoperable in those special circumstances where the forward movement of the vehicle establishes a reversed air movement from the rear of the vehicle towards the front with a velocity greater than the forward velocity of the vehicle.
All conventional pickup trucks exhibit such reversed wind flow characteristics when operated at highway speeds. In such instances a high velocity wind develops aft of the tailgate and sweeps forward through the bed and around any cargo that may be disposed therein. Such forward sweeping wind is so strong and so turbulent that it will often eject unsecured cargo from the bed or, if the cargo is secured by tie-downs, create wind damage in excess of the wind damage that would be expected if such cargo was exposed to only the rearward flowing wind created by the forward vehicular motion.
The direction, intensity and turbulence of the forward flowing winds that develop within and around pickup truck beds are of such nature that prior art provisions for controlling rearward flowing air cannot be obviously modified for suitable control of forward flowing winds.